The present invention relates generally to suspensions for trucks and trailers and in particular to innovations and improvements in the system for clamping an axle housing to a combination suspension support member and spring in such a way that the axle housing is clamped and compressed uniformly on all four sides whereby there is no appreciable tendency for the axle housing to collapse or become deformed so as to require frequent re-torquing of the clamping bolts.
In truck and trailer suspensions the opposite ends of the axle housings must be securely clamped to a support such as a combination suspension support and spring. Heretofore, various clamping systems have been used, usually resulting in compressive forces being applied to the top and bottom of an axle housing with the clamp bolt load being very high, typically in the range of 30,000 to 50,000 pounds per bolt. Usually four bolts are used together at each clamping site making the total load there in the range of 120,000 to 200,000 pounds. Clamp bolt loads in this range generate a very high bending load on the bottom plate which engages the underside of an axle housing thereby requiring the plate to be very thick and heavy in order to sustain the load to which it is subjected. The thickness takes up ground clearance and the bending load produces a xe2x80x9cspringxe2x80x9d effect causing flexing of the bottom plate, making it very difficult to obtain a secure clamping joint. Further, there has been no convenient method to positively locate the bottom plate relative to the axle housing. This results in the bolts not being perpendicular to the axle housing which, in turn, detracts from the security of the joint.
With the clamping forces in prior clamping systems being essentially confined to the bottom and top plates, there was a tendency for the sidewalls of the axle housing to deform or collapse allowing the clamping bolts to loosen whereupon the bolts had to be re-tightened or re-torqued after relatively short periods of service.
According to the present invention novel bottom axle housing wraps and top axle housing wraps are provided which act to apply the clamping forces substantially uniformly to all four sides of an axle housing thereby eliminating any appreciable tendency for the axle housing to be deformed or for the clamping joint to become loose.
The invention involves the use of novel bottom and top axle housing wraps. The bottom axle housing wraps have upwardly extending fingers or sides the inner surfaces of which bear against the opposite sides of the axle housing either directly or against interfitting downward extensions on the top axle housing wrap. The vertical clamping bolts extend between the top and bottom axle housing wraps and clamping plate on a leaf spring or other support with the bolts being spaced from the sides of the axle housing so as to allow the fingers or upwardly extending sides on the bottom wrap to press inwardly against the sides of the axle housing.
In a preferred embodiment, the top axle housing wrap has depending or downwardly extending sides which engage the sidewalls of the axle housing and telescope into the upwardly extending sides or fingers on the bottom axle housing wrap.
For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: